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Explorers Ed Stafford and Laura Bingham faced their hardest challenge yet when they spent a month living on a desert island with their little boy.

The couple had to fend for themselves while keeping 20-month-old Ran safe, with no food, water or shelter, and the threat of tropical storms.

But, despite the dangers, they have no regrets about bringing Ran along for the adventure.

Laura hunts for fish in the waters near their camp on a deserted island off the coast of Padang, Indonesia.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with indigenous tribes who don’t have iPads to distract their kids with,” says Ed. “So I thought it would be an extraordinary experiment to take Laura and Ran off-grid for a month. I thought it would help us bond.

“I also don’t think children should be wrapped in cotton wool, so this project was really in touch with how we want to bring our ­family up.”

Ed, 43, and Laura have ­already completed gruelling trips, from walking the length of the Amazon to cycling across South America.

The pair, who live together in Leicestershire, self-filmed their time on the ­remote Merak Island in Indonesia for a ­documentar y, which airs next Sunday on Discovery Channel.

The couple's favourite memory is watching son Ran play on the beach with hermit crabs

Laura, 26, says: “Originally I was concerned Ed and I would fight about who would do ­certain things best.

“We tried to put up a greenhouse together ­before the trip and had an ­argument.

“At home you can go in ­another room for half a day, but when we got to the island we didn’t have the luxury of it.

“We knew that Ran’s safety depended on us being ­together,” adds Ed. “There was no way we could have a row and end up with one of us storming up the beach away from the other one, because we were reliant on each other.”

The pair’s favourite memory is of Ran playing with hermit crabs on the beach.

“His face would light up when they poked out, he was fascinated,” says Laura. “We played with the crabs a lot as it was the best form of entertainment that we had.

Ed, 43, and Laura, 26, have already completed gruelling trips from walking the length of the Amazon to cycling across South America

“It was amazing how quickly he adapted, he usually is always asking for the TV and crackers. He asked for crackers once but when I told him there weren’t any he didn’t ask again.

“However, the day we got back home he asked for the TV! I think he wants it just as much as he did before because he knows it’s there.

“But now we are more educated about making him go outside. He’s a much nicer child when he’s been in nature.”

The pair say the secret of their success on the island was down to using their own skills. “We knew we had to work together to be safe, and we have different capabilities,” explains Laura.

“Ed hates swimming, but I’m strong in the water so I went fishing and swimming around the coral reef to find shellfish, while he did more things like pig hunting. It all fit together ­really nicely.”

But there were some tough moments along the way.

Laura toasts some coconut in the kitchen area at their camp on a deserted island off the coast of Padang, Indonesia.

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After the pair stumbled across what they thought was a fresh water source, Laura – who thankfully had the idea that only one of them should test it – drank some, only to fall ill. And Ed went out to find food only to return a lot later than he said he would.

“It was hugely stressful and scary,” says Laura. “I had to stay where it was safe for Ran, so couldn’t leave. When Ed returned I could have punched him in the face and kissed him at the same time.”

Ed says another thing they struggled with was the lack of an “extended community” around them. He says: “We felt Ran would have benefitted more if he had other toddlers his age to play with and we just got a bit lonely as a family. So one of the first things we did when we got back was go to the pub with everyone!”

Laura adds: “This was a fantastic opportunity to go out and have an adventure with Ran and Ed. I hope this programme will ­inspire other parents to try new things and take a few more risks with their children.”